Don't Hesitate
by SchmEthan
Summary: Wolf O'Donnell once gave Fox this advice- "Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act". Fox followed this no less than four times, and each time he did so, the consequences changed not only his life, but the life of the one he loved.
1. Prologue

In any and every other circumstance, Wolf's advice (which was a rarity, at best) would do absolutely nothing to help Fox McCloud. But there was one piece of advice which would set in motion many ups and downs in the vulpine's life.

"_Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act..."_

Fox heeded this advice no less than four times, beneficial on three occasions, devastating on the other. The very first time Fox followed the recommendation put to him was when team Star Fox confronted the Aparoid Queen. The second time he heeded this advice was a few months after the Aparoid war, with the third time occurring another few months after that. The fourth and final heeding was near the close of the Anglar Blitz. Three of the decisions made by Fox concerned not only himself, but also the vixen he loved and cherished more than anything.

The very minute he set his eyes on Krystal on the planet Sauria, Fox was hooked. In fact, his very first comment concerning her was "Wow, she's beautiful!". When the very same vixen appeared on the bridge of the Great Fox minutes after he saved the planet, he tripped over his words. Despite the fact that he took out the most powerful being in Lylat without even so much as a quiver on his part, he still managed to stumble. And blush.

It would be around half a year before Fox could look at Krystal without blushing, but even after growing used to her presence, one glance at her alluring, aquatic eyes and he was reduced to a gaping furball. This action only ever caused the vixen to giggle delightedly, although Fox had absolutely no idea what was going on in her head.

During the Aparoid invasion, Fox and Krystal had little or no free time to spend with each other, aside from one on-foot mission to Sauria, where Fox's one-time assistant, Prince Tricky, ran into them. Literally. After Tricky mentioned a honeymoon between the two vulpine, Fox once again lost control of his tongue and spluttered out something along the lines of "We're not yet!", partially saying what he wanted to hear. Again, this received an ambiguous giggle from Krystal, only further enhancing his curiosity.

A few months had passed since the invasion, and Fox and Krystal were spending almost all of their free time together. They had become the best of friends, even more so than they realised, and it was not until Fox made a huge mistake that they would find out just how close they were.

This is the story of Fox's First Heeding: the Brilliant Mistake.

_To be continued...

* * *

_A/N: (for all author's notes, see 'Stuff in progress' section of my profile page)


	2. I: The Brilliant Mistake

"_Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act..."_

Fox's First Heeding: the Brilliant Mistake...

* * *

"Come on, Fox, come on!" the vulpine urged himself. "You're the leader of an elite mercenary squadron, and you still can't pluck up the courage to ask her out! Come on!"

Fox was standing outside the kitchen aboard the Great Fox III in his casual jeans and t-shirt. With no impending missions, the team were free to do as they pleased. Falco took his Arwing out almost every day to the residential sector of Katina. Nobody really knew the reason behind these trips, but Fox suggested that he was perhaps tying up some loose ends. Slippy had temporarily moved out of the Great Fox to spend a few months teaching basic mechanics at a university on Aquas, and Peppy was asleep, as per usual. Which left only two (awake) people on board.

Fox was sweating now. He had gone through this so many times, but he always backed down in nervousness. He shook himself down before wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Alright, just... just go in there, talk to her, and see what happens... Go!"

Despite what his brain was demanding, his body just wouldn't comply. "Right, this is just getting silly. Just do it, Fox! Just-"

At this point, his wrist communicator burst into life as he received a message from Krystal. It read 'Hey Fox! I'm just in the kitchen making cookies (yay!) and I need a tray from the top shelf. I'm too small to reach it though, and I don't think Peppy would appreciate me standing all over his worktops lol. You wouldn't come and lift it down for me, would you? Thanks, Fox! x'.

X. That tiny, insignificant letter was the only thing that gave Fox hope. The only thing that made him believe that Krystal could actually love him back. Because that's what made it so hard. He loved Krystal more than anything.

* * *

Krystal tapped the 'send' button on her wrist communicator before returning the oven gloves to her paws. She was wearing tight-fitting jeans, a baggy pink t-shirt and a blue apron. The vixen was very much at home in the kitchen; she loved nothing more than to cook for herself and for everyone else. Well, maybe there was _one _thing she loved more...

Krystal didn't really need a tray from the top shelf, and she would have been tall enough to reach it had she needed it. All she really needed was Fox.

Fox.

He had saved her life on so many occasions. The very first time was on Sauria, where he saved her from a fall to her death. But what stood out most about that day was when she first grasped his paw and looked into those emerald-green eyes of his. He saved her, and for that she would stop at nothing to repay him. Granted, they didn't get off to a great start; the pair ended up fighting over who would wield the staff; but Krystal, secretly wanting to speak with Fox just one last time, apologised and appeared on the bridge of the Great Fox, much to Fox's obvious joy and embarrassment. A few weeks later, after all necessary paperwork and legalities had been taken care of, Fox officially welcomed Krystal to the Star Fox team. She began her training not long after.

During the Aparoid War, Fox would be there in a second should Krystal ever be in danger. He was constantly checking up on her, and she was only too happy to report her safety. _He's such a gentlefox... and he's handsome too..._

The vixen sighed dreamily, a regular occurrence after the Aparoid War, and continued working her magic on the soon-to-be cookies. She couldn't fully concentrate on her baking though, nor could she seem to focus on anything as of late. Her mind was plagued with her saviour and friend, the one whom she knew would always be there for her. She somehow forced him to the back of her thoughts and continued in the delicate art of cookie-making, but she couldn't help but wonder how long Fox would take to turn up.

* * *

The vulpine in question was waiting. Waiting to go in. But what exactly was he waiting for? Waiting for enough time to pass to hide the fact that he had been standing outside? No. He was waiting. For himself.

"Oh, come on! She's actually giving you an excuse to see her! To talk to her! What's wrong with you?"

"Fox?" called Krystal. "You outside?"

"Uh..." the vulpine was totally unprepared for that. _Well, now that she knows I'm here..._

"Yeah, it's me. I- I just... oh, never mind."

Fox touched the pad at the side of the door and looked forward to see it slide open to reveal an apron clad vixen and the intoxicating smell of her unique cookies. Without meaning to, he allowed himself to sink back into his senses. The aroma of freshly baked dough, the sound of sizzling trays and food, and the girl of his dreams standing right in front of him. He allowed his eyes to rest in hers; the aquatic blue looking more lustrous than ever. _I could live in those eyes forever..._

What Krystal saw was an oblivious vulpine, staring at her. She sighed a bit, but still sported a smile. _You'd think he'd never seen a girl before..._

After a while, however, she discovered that not only was he staring at her, but with her. She had become lost in the untamed, unfound lands within his eyes of green. Neither could seem to tear away from each other's gaze. Although the pair didn't realise it, they were both quite attracted to each other. Unfortunately, everyone else _had _realised this and Falco usually made it his top priority to embarrass Fox to his limit wherever and whenever Krystal was concerned.

The couple continued soaking up each other's presence, their emotions and feelings enhanced by that all-healing smell of home-made cookies. And eventually, it was those very cookies that shattered the beautiful silence.

PING

Krystal was hurled back into reality by the oven timer. After shaking herself off, she spun around and opened the oven door in one fluid movement before removing her handiwork and placing it atop the cooker.

The oven timer also snapped Fox out of the trance, which he was enjoying a bit too much for his liking. As the smell of the cookies replenished itself, Fox took it all in with one huge breath.

"They smell brilliant, Krystal!" _Start out small. No need to get ahead of yourself._

"Why, thank you, Fox!" The vixen brandished a plate of said cookies. "My best yet if I don't say so myself. Which I do, for that matter!"

Fox chuckled before picking up a cookie from the plate. "Ready for the verdict?"

Krystal placed the plate on the table before folding her arms. "Go on then!"

Fox bit into the end of the cookie and let the flavour wash over his tongue. And what a flavour it was. The rich taste of the cookie, the smooth, creamy chocolate chips and the crunch overwhelmed him before he chewed and swallowed the mouthful. The vulpine looked a bit shell-shocked after taking the bite.

Krystal misinterpreted his expression and immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. "Oh, no. Don't tell me I've burnt them! Or maybe they're undercooked. Wait... did I even put the sugar in? Oh, Fox, I'm-"

She stopped herself when Fox reached over and took another cookie, devouring is within seconds. And another. And another.

A now confused Krystal placed her paws on her hips. "I take it you like them then?"

Fox held a finger up in response while he chewed the many cookies crammed into his mouth. Krystal rolled her eyes and giggled as he swallowed the last of the cookies. "Those. Were. Gorgeous!" He raised his paw in the air, yelling "High-five, Krys!"

They laughed in unison as the high-five took place, both cherishing the physical contact, despite the short duration.

"You really thought they were good?" asked Krystal.

Fox tapped his forehead. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Fox loved Krystal's presence in his mind. It gave him a warm, fuzzy glow in his body, and also the feeling of Krystal's thought patterns merging with his. He always enjoyed her company, even inside his head.

Krystal raised an eyebrow before closing her eyes and focusing on Fox's mind. She swam in his thoughts and memories, quite a few of which involved herself. She had always assumed that this was a side-effect of her presence in his mind. What she didn't suspect was Fox's feelings towards her, nor the fact that she was nearly always on his mind.

Still, she brushed past many of Fox's memories, morally unable to view them. She felt him pushing forward the recent recollection of eating her cookies. She could taste the crunchy cookie dough, the velvety chocolate chips and she also caught a taste of Fox's lips; a taste that she desperately hoped to taste again someday. Not only could she practically taste Fox's memory of the cookie, she could also hear exactly what was going through his mind as he ate it.

_Wow. Wow, that's awesome. That's the best cookie I've ever tasted! Oh, Krystal, you are one brilliant girl!_

Krystal was surprised at his statement. _Did he mean...? No. No, he doesn't...does he?_ The vixen felt herself blushing slightly as she withdrew from Fox's mind.

"Wait..." Fox half-realised. "Did you..."

"You honestly thought they were that good?" Krystal interrupted. She already knew the answer to her question, but the same could not be said for the answer to Fox's.

"Of course!" replied Fox, all uncertainties gone. "You're the best chef I've ever seen!"

Krystal blushed a soft purple colour at Fox's comment, but after he had figured out what he had just said, Fox went red in the face as well.

"Thanks, Fox." Krystal almost whispered.

"Hey, I meant everything I said." confirmed Fox, unaware of the fact that Krystal heard as much as she did.

"...Really?"

Fox nodded in response, his caring smile still beaming.

_Should I...? Yes. You've got to do it now, or you never will..._

"Fox..." she began, trying not to look at him. "You know the way we haven't really had the chance to... spend much time together recently?"

Fox's ears pricked up. He liked where this was going. "Um... yeah?"

"Well..." Both parties were blushing vigorously at this point. "Maybe we could... oh, I dunno... take a little trip to Sauria sometime..."

Fox began speaking without thinking. "Just the two of us?"

Fox's eyes widened when he realised what he had just said. He was just about to take it back when Krystal nodded.

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm!" Krystal clapped her paws together. "Oh, it's gonna be great! We'll get to see how everyone's doing; spend a bit more time with Tricky too! And I think you owe him an apology after last time." Krystal giggled as she remembered Fox and Tricky arguing about the former's relationship status with herself.

"Oh yeah." Fox scratched the back of his neck while looking to the floor. "Still remember that then?"

"How could I forget?" admitted Krystal. "You were all over the place!" Her giggle grew into a laugh and even Fox managed a chuckle, albeit a nervous one.

"So anyway," Fox chimed, changing the subject, "when should we leave?"

"Well..." Krystal thought for a minute. "Once I finish these cookies and then get packed... Well, we could go today, I suppose!"

A smile lit up Fox's face. "Awesome! I'll get packing then. You need anything done?"

"No, I'm fine, Fox. Thanks for asking, though."

"OK." Fox turned to leave the kitchen, but stopped and turned back around to face Krystal.

"Krystal?"

"Yes, Fox?"

"Thanks."

Although she wasn't too sure what for, Krystal smiled at him before finishing off her delicious treats.

Fox left the kitchen, the door swooshing closed behind him.

"Wow. Now _that's _good fortune..."

A broad grin was peeled across his face as he made a dash for his room. In just a few hours, he would be on a beautiful planet, with a beautiful vixen, in the most beautiful state of mind.

* * *

Fox was standing in the hangar, rucksack hanging over his shoulder. Since nobody was around to disagree (aside from Peppy, who probably would have encouraged the move), Fox and ROB warped the Great Fox to a location near Sauria. He had taken the liberty to prep both his and Krystal's Arwings, and now, with nothing left to do, he waited. This time, he was waiting for Krystal. Fox kept telling himself that it was just a little friendly trip to Sauria, the planet which held so many memories for both himself and Krystal. If his mindset was otherwise, he would probably try to run away from the sheer nerves required just to talk to her. He sighed, repeating her name inside his head. _Krystal..._

The hangar door slid open to reveal Krystal wearing her summer clothes, since it was that time of year planetside. Both fortunately and unfortunately for Fox, Krystal's choice of summer clothing was her old Cerinian outfit, the very same outfit in which she was rescued from Sauria. It was fortunate for Fox because, aside from the chest and the other obvious area, Krystal's curvaceous form was entirely exposed; a sight which Fox could not help but enjoy. For the same reason, it was unfortunate for Fox as he was extremely prone to embarrassment, especially around Krystal, and even more so in her current apparel.

"Um... uh... you haven't worn that in a while..." Fox managed to say, his now trademark blush seeping through his fur.

"Yeah, I haven't worn it since the last time we were on Sauria." Krystal's heart-melting smile was directed at Fox. "Since you rescued me..."

"Well," began Fox, eager to interrupt, "looks like we're all ready! Did you bring the food?"

She rolled her eyes at his changing of the subject and nodded, nudging the bag rested on her shoulder that Fox had somehow failed to notice.

"Alright then!" Fox beckoned Krystal as he almost ran towards the Arwings. "Let's go!"

The pair galloped towards the Arwings, both as excited as each other, and hopped in with ease. Fox opened a private comm. link to Krystal's Arwing.

"You prepped it for me?" noted Krystal. "Aww, thanks, Fox!"

"Heh... don't mention it." replied Fox. "So, we should hit the sunny side of Sauria in about... twenty minutes?"

"Sounds good! And now I suppose we just enjoy the flight!"

"I like your thinking, Krys!"

Oh, how she loved that name. Krys. Aside from Falco (whose nickname for the vixen was simply 'K'; not very attractive to Krystal's ears) nobody else had bestowed a nickname upon her. He never overused it, nor did he neglect it; it was as if he knew just the right time to use the name.

And so, they sat back, chatted away, and enjoyed the flight.

* * *

When they landed, it was roughly ten o'clock in the morning. Fox hopped out of his Arwing, and being the gentlefox he was, helped Krystal out of hers. The pair took a moment to stretch for a bit to let their bodies become accustomed to standing again.

"Looks like we've got all day!" Fox exclaimed, turning to Krystal. "What's first?"

Krystal looked pensive. "I hear they've set up a skiing slope on Ice Mountain." She looked back at the vulpine. "You up for it?"

Fox nodded in response. "Let's go!"

He grabbed Krystal's paw and started running, eager to hit the slopes.

Both Fox and Krystal stopped in their tracks.

"Where are we again?" asked Krystal, unsurely.

Fox quickly scanned the area. "Exactly."

* * *

Fox and Krystal were sitting on the edge of the Krazoa Palace, the remnants of their picnic in between them. The Solarset in the sky created a staggering orange glow against the endless mountains and deepest seas of Sauria. There were few clouds in the sky, and even then they were light and wispy, perfectly catching the Solarlight and tingeing them a deep red colour.

It really was infectious. The sheer beauty of Sauria was what attracted the rest of Lylat to the recently opened holiday resorts after the Aparoid Wars. Of course, any and all developing companies were extremely careful to preserve the natural beauty of the planet after discovering the consequences with Katina.

_If you let this pass,_ Fox told himself,_ you will never, ever be able to tell her. And another chance like this isn't coming anytime soon. _Luckily for the vulpine, Krystal was too focused on the scenery to read Fox's mind.

"I don't know about you, Fox," said Krystal, torn between gazing at the beautiful, picturesque Saurian landscape, or the beautiful, handsome Fox McCloud. Eventually opting for the latter, she continued. "But this has been a brilliant day! And look at that Solarset! Can you think of _anything _more beautiful?"

Once again getting ahead of himself, Fox made his first mistake of the night. "Yes, actually."

Krystal was surprised at the statement, especially its solidity. "Go on..." she urged.

Fox caught up with what he said. And it didn't exactly go well. "Well... you see... uh..."

Krystal turned away from the babbling vulpine. She didn't know what to think. _Did he mean me? Maybe he's too ashamed of me to admit it? _She held her breath. _Maybe there's someone else..._

Meanwhile, Fox had his head firmly in his paw, up to his eyeballs in thoughts.

_Well done genius! How you gonna get out of this one? She's gonna think you're crazy. Or worse, with somebody else. Why? Why do you have to think before you act? Act... just..._

"_Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act..."_

It seemed as if the entire day had been played right into his paws, but this was where it ended. This was where he had to take the weight himself and decide what he should do.

He had to tell her.

Fox mind was made up. "Krystal," he spoke, unwavering, surely and clearly.

Krystal turned back to Fox. "Yes, Fox?"

"I can think of something more beautiful than that Solarset. Or rather, some_one."_

With that, he reached his paw up to her muzzle and stroked it so very gently. "It's you."

Krystal's jaw gaped. She knew that every word of that was truer than true. _He meant it. He thinks I'm beautiful..._

"M-me?" she asked, almost whispering.

"Yeah." Fox confirmed, smiling with such care. "Ever since I saw you in that crystal all those years ago, I was hooked."

Krystal gave a nervous laugh. "You weren't too bad yourself." She shuffled closer to Fox. "And you still aren't."

Fox chuckled. "What am I, compared with you?"

"Since when could you say things like that to me without going completely red?" asked Krystal with a giggle.

"Oh, just some advice I heard once." _Thank you, Wolf! I never thought you'd help me out with Krystal, but you've gone and done it!_

"Well, whoever it was, I'm grateful!"

Fox scoffed. "Be careful what you say."

Krystal shot a quizzical look to the vulpine. "What?"

"Never mind. But, there's something else I need to say..."

Krystal looked straight into Fox's eyes. "What's that?"

"Krystal..." began Fox, before losing his balance. _Come on, keep it together!_

"Krystal, I..."

_Don't..._

_Don't hesitate..._

Krystal could have sworn she saw a spark ignite in Fox's eyes as he opened his mouth once more. What came out were the three words that she longed to hear. Or did they? She wasn't sure. But she was sure of one thing; she was sure of Fox McCloud and his feelings towards her.

And thus, Fox made the most brilliant mistake of his life.

"I love you."

Unable to move an inch, all they could do was stare into each other's eyes as they had done so many times before.

"I..." Not once did Krystal look away from Fox as she said it. "I think I love you too."

She knew she shouldn't fall in love with him. She was his team-mate, she worked alongside him. She knew what could potentially happen. She knew...

But that didn't matter. It was too hard to try and resist the urge to hold on to that vulpine and never let go.

"That thought's all I need."

Fox leaned forwards and kissed Krystal deftly on the lips, just once. There wasn't a chance in Lylat that he was going to succumb to lust when it was love he truly yearned for. _Not now... not yet..._

Krystal, now focusing on Fox's thoughts, heard every word. _That's my Fox..._

Fox patted his lap, signalling a vacancy for Krystal. She complied and made herself, and Fox, comfortable. She allowed her tail to brush across Fox's, the fluffy blue of hers intertwining with the sleek orange of his to create an entirely new colour. A colour which had no name. And indeed needed no name. All they needed was each other.

Fox wrapped his muscular arms around Krystal's delicate waist while she leaned her head back on his shoulder and, closing her eyes, she felt the warmth of his body being shared with hers. Fox turned his head slightly and kissed the top of her muzzle, before taking a moment to absorb the true beauty of her light facial fur, her wavy headfur, her gentle smile, and her curving ears.

Eventually, Fox closed his eyes and rested his head atop Krystal's. They were comfortable, soothed by the very presence of the other, the warmth, the emotion, the love.

_I love you, Fox..._

_I love you so much, Krystal..._

The vixen's eyes shot open. _Was that just a coincidence? _

She assumed, by the lack of response, that it was before realising that it was getting dark.

"Hey, Fox." She nudged him gently. "It's getting dark. Maybe we should get back now."

"Alright then." The vulpine allowed Krystal to stand up and stretch herself off, before doing the same himself.

Krystal presented her paw to Fox, who gladly took it.

"I've been waiting for this for so long." confessed Fox.

"Me too. I'm glad you told me, here of all places!"

"So am I..."

With that, the lovers strolled off, paw in paw, back to the Arwings.

"You know, I never got that tray down for you..."

The couple laughed.

"Oh, Fox..." breathed Krystal.

* * *

_Two weeks later..._

"Say 'cheese', Krys!"

CLICK

Krystal blinked as the afterlights from the camera flash tainted her vision.

"Alright then," Fox said as he let go of Krystal and turned his attention to the computer screen. "Whaddaya think?"

Krystal wrapped her arm around Fox's waist as they looked at a historic photo. A photo which they would both keep with them always.

Fox printed three copies; one for himself, one for Krystal, and one for the bedroom. _Their _bedroom.

"One last touch!" insisted Fox, pulling a pen from his jacket pocket. In the bottom right hand corner of his newly printed photo, he scribbled something down. Krystal peeked at what he was writing and immediately approved. When he was finished, she took the pen from him and wrote the same thing in the corner of her photo.

They turned back to each other, staring in to the infinite opportunities within the other's eyes.

Krystal blessed Fox with a quick chaste kiss before withdrawing again. Both vulpine longed for more. More contact, more care, more love.

And Fox acted upon that.

He smirked slightly before giving her a fair warning.

"Brace yourself..."

As he pressed his muzzle against hers, the image running through both of their minds was that of the life-changing photograph.

Krystal was in the foreground, with her head turned to the side to face Fox. He was standing behind her, protecting her with his toned arms, meeting her gaze. This was the photo that, at the right time, would determine their future. Forever.

And in the bottom corner of the photos, there was some writing.

It read: _Always and Forever, Above and Beyond, Orange and Blue, Fox and Krystal_

And then Pepper called.

* * *

_To be continued with Fox's Second Heeding: the Wrong Resolution..._

(All A/N's can be found on my profile page)


	3. II: The Wrong Resolution

"_When the time comes, don't hesitate, just act..."_

Fox's Second Heeding: The Wrong Resolution...

* * *

Fox McCloud was sitting alone on a park bench in Corneria City, crying. The vulpine rarely cried; there were very few things which could make him do so. And one such scenario had just occurred.

As he wallowed in his sorrow, head buried in his paws, he desperately searched his brain for the reason he did it. He didn't want to do it. He never wanted to say it. Yet he did. And the consequences were too much for him to bear.

Thinking back, he reflected upon his time just before arriving at the park.

* * *

Fox sat in his Arwing, barely concentrating on piloting the craft. His thoughts were centred around two things: the love of his life, and what he was about to tell her.

Krystal, flying her Cloudrunner, noticed Fox's lack of concentration. "Hey, Fox!" she called, over the comms, "Wake up!"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Krys. I was just... thinking."

"Yeah, you seem to have been doing a lot of that recently. I'm getting the feeling that something's up."

Fox blinked a few times before replying. "No, no. Everything's fine. There's a lot on my mind at the moment, that's all."

Krystal would have had no problem discovering exactly what was occupying Fox's mind, but she would never enter Fox's mind without his express permission. "Look, Fox, if there's anything you need to talk about, you know I'm always here for you."

_And that's why I have to... have to..._

He couldn't even think about what he had to do. Did he have to do it? No. Did he want to do it? No. Did he need to do it? He thought he did. How wrong he was.

"You're really not yourself, are you Fox?" Fox knew she was concerned.

"Look, Krys, I'm fine. Really," Fox insisted, despite the fact that he was far from it. But Krystal didn't need to know that. _She'd only try and stop me. Oh God I wish she would... _Nor did she need to know what Fox had planned, but that's exactly what she was thinking about.

_He's not thinking of... proposing, is he? No... that's not it... He's not just nervous, he's worried. Scared. _Of course, Krystal's telepathy ensured that she felt very similar emotions to anyone and everyone around her. At times, she was glad she had the gift, particularly that day on Sauria all those months ago, when her every experience with Fox was heightened by the swell of emotions that came flooding from his mind. But now, now all she was getting was the sour taste of worry and the freezing touch of fear. She didn't like it one bit. _Oh, Fox! What is it? What's wrong? Oh, I wish you would tell me. _Had Fox known what Krystal had just thought, that potentially dangerous cliché would have sprung into his mind in seconds. Be careful what you wish for.

Krystal looked out of her cockpit towards the beautiful evening skies of Corneria. A moment; for that minute, irrelevant length of time, the Solarset put Krystal at peace. All those foul thoughts and emotions had fled, burning up in the orange glow of the sky. She was totally at peace when she subconsciously started making connections in her head.

_Look at that Solarset! Is there anything more orange and brilliant? Well... _She cast a sly grin over the comms which, after a moment of confusion, somehow managed to squeeze a smile from the bloating thoughts and fears in Fox's head.

"Alright, come on," Fox beckoned, slowly beginning his descent, "we're landing soon. Follow me."

As Fox drifted to the right, all the while tilting slightly downwards, Krystal followed suit. She noticed that Fox was heading towards an empty field just outside the City. The vixen was concentrating on the comms more intently than her piloting, simply because of worry for Fox; his facial expressions wavered every so often, but he would compose himself before long.

When they were eventually hovering just above the field, Fox nodded to Krystal before touching down. He hurriedly opened the cockpit, stumbled out of his Arwing and rushed over to Krystal's aircraft to help her out of it. The action had almost become habit, and he simply enjoyed the company of the vixen more than anything. As he reached his paw up to take hers, Krystal was somewhat relieved that Fox hadn't entirely been consumed by the plague of his worries and thoughts. It earned Fox a smile from the one he loved as she deftly dropped to the ground with the aid of Fox's paw. He almost forced a smile in reply, trying his utmost to truly mean it, knowing full well that that could be the very last chance he would ever have to smile at her. To be with her. To love her back.

"So, where is it we're going then, hon?" asked Krystal, her eyes sparkling with excitement, inhibited with dulling worry.

Fox almost winced when she referred to him as 'hon'; every little action and word like it would only make it harder and harder for her to accept, but also for him to follow through with, the plan he had brewing in his mind. The plan. That jumble and chaos of thoughts inside his head, desperately searching for an opening, an excuse to be freed from the doubting and inhibiting grasp of Fox's love for Krystal; stronger than even his fear for her safety.

"Well, I thought we'd just go to the park and chill," Fox almost stated. "That OK with you?"

"Sure, Fox!" replied Krystal, somewhat enthusiastically. Of course it was OK. As long as she got to spend some time with her beloved, the vixen was content to do anything.

"Alright then. Let's go." Again realising that it might be the last time he ever experienced it, he reached across for Krystal's warm, blue paw and clutched it in his. They both looked up and smiled at each other, the burden of his impossible, and indeed unnecessary, task relieved from his shoulders somewhat.

Not another word was said until the pair reached the park. Fox let go of Krystal's paw and hastened himself to sit down on a relatively clean park bench overlooking the city. The park was devoid of life, not counting the two vulpine, as Krystal took her seat beside Fox. He was looking straight ahead, into the evening Solar, taking it all in.

"Awesome, isn't it?" he asked, keeping his gaze firmly fixed ahead.

"Oh, yeah," agreed Krystal, "it's lovely."

Fox, little by little, twisted around to face the vixen before continuing.

"You remember the mission in that sky?"

Krystal almost frowned when Fox said that. That particular mission had given him nightmares for weeks. Two weeks after the pair took their little trip to Sauria, Pepper had received a new mission for the team. It wasn't a particularly challenging mission, so Fox accepted and jumped straight in. They simply had to watch for some Katina-bound ships disguised as medical transport vehicles which were believed to be smuggling weapons from Corneria. With Slippy's keen eye, the fake aircraft were easily spotted and taken down by Fox, Falco and Krystal. The mission was accomplished, the money was forwarded and Star Fox returned to the Great Fox III to celebrate another successful job. If anything, Fox and Krystal grew closer rather than apart that night. But it was what happened another two months later that broke down Fox's mind and his rational thought.

Star Fox's next assignment from Pepper was more a favour than a mission; they simply had to check up on the same shipping route they watched a couple of months previous. But, not all went to plan.

"Yes, yes, I remember," assured Krystal, wincing at the pain and suffering endured on that follow-up mission. Not her pain, but Fox's.

"So do I, Krys, clear as day."

* * *

"_Anything yet, guys?" I asked._

"_Nothing on this end," called Falco._

_Slippy was next. "No suspicious ships yet."_

_And then Krystal. Sweetness herself. "All good over here!" she enthusiastically replied._

"_Alright then, I guess we can pack up and go home!" I pulled the Arwing to the right and headed back to the Great Fox._

"_That was the easiest assignment to date!" exclaimed Falco, following me back to the mothership. "Did Pepper say he was gonna pay us for doin' this?"_

"_Yeah, but it probably won't be all that much."_

"_Well, its payment nonetheless!" chirped Slippy._

"_Just remember, guys, this isn't all about the money. We do this to keep everyone out there safe. The money's just a bonus... well, yes, we live off it and stuff, but you shouldn't worry about how much. Enough to get by."_

"_Well, Mr. I-can-make-a-fancy-speech, I'll keep that in mind, shall I?" asked Falco in a mock matter-of-fact tone._

"_Yeah, I suppose you're right Fox," admitted Slippy, rather downheartedly. "But at least it's fun!"_

"_When you're not being chased by the enemy ten seconds after we start?" observed Falco_

"_Hey! Just 'cause I'm enthusiastic!" Slippy defended himself._

"_Now, there's enthusiastic, and there's idiotic." Falco chuckled at his own joke._

"_Falco!" chided Krystal, "Leave Slippy alone! Fox has had to help you too, you know!"_

_I smiled at that. Krystal always helps Slippy out when Falco has a go at him. You are too good, Krys!_

"_Good on you, Krystal." Everyone bar Falco laughed at that. "Right, let's-"_

"_Fox... they're..." Krystal stopped and closed her eyes. I knew that she was concentrating on some form of thought pattern or telepathic signal._

"_What is it, Krys?" I asked, now slightly worried. I braked, causing everyone else to follow suit. "What's happening?"_

"_There's someone's, no, a whole gang of thoughts, all with malicious intent." She opened her eyes and the team received a glimpse of raw fear just before it disappeared from those pools of aquatic blue. "Malicious intent towards us."_

"_What?!" yelled Falco, wheeling his Arwing around before he could think. "Whoa... They're not happy..."_

_I banked the Arwing and turned around to face whatever Falco was looking at. At least twenty E-class fighters were heading straight for us. They opened up a comms channel._

"_You jerks stopped shot down our smuggling ships!" a rugged-looking sheep screamed, spittle clouding the comms screen. _

"_So it was you guys," mused Falco. "We were just doing our job! What do ya want?"_

_The sheep laughed coldly. "To get rid of you."_

"_Sorry, but that's not happening today," I warned them. "We took you out once, we can do it again, if you want."_

"_You're on, boyo!" _

_And so, we engaged them. In between their fire, we managed to take down six fighters, before _it _happened._

_I was switching my concentration between shooting them down, avoiding their fire, and Krystal. She appeared to be doing fine so I turned back to my enemies. Big mistake. There was a flash of light and a huge explosion as one of Krystal's G-diffusers had been torn clean off._

"_Oh no you don't," I growled through my teeth, chasing after the ship that had hit Krystal. Another huge mistake. He swerved and dodged to avoid me, but, fuelled with the determination to save Krystal, I charged the laser and fired, the shot taking him down in one. Then I realised that Krystal was out there with only three G-diffusers working. I pulled a u-turn to face her. Over the comms, her teeth were gritted, trying to keep the Arwing under control._

"_Krystal!" I called. "You OK?"_

"_No! I need to get to- AAAAHH!"_

_My throat tightened as another ship secured some shots in Krystal's afterburners. The ship was smoking badly now._

_I slammed down on the boost and sped towards the ship. "Krystal, you need to get out of there, now! Your Arwing can't take any more damage."_

"_No, Fox," she protested, calmly. "We have to take out these enemies!"_

_I slowed down when I pulled up behind Krystal, destroying any and all enemies around her. "Get out of here, now!"_

_Before she could answer me, one of the ships pulled up behind me and opened fire on her ship. It rocked and swayed, its pilot screaming before the comms went dead._

"_Krystal!"_

_The lasers finally found their way to the fuel reserves, blowing the Arwing clean apart. Despite the explosion finishing four more ships, I turned the Arwing straight into it. There was no sign of Krystal among the wreckage of her Arwing._

"_NO!!" I screamed, cutting the engine, which automatically diverted all power to the shields. "KRYSTAL!!! NO!!!"_

_Falco was trying to say something over the comms, but I couldn't hear him. I couldn't hear anything. My own heartbeat, barely. She was gone. Just like that, she was taken from me. Forever. All the things we'd done; the rescue on Sauria, welcoming her to Star Fox, shopping on Corneria, training on Katina, Summer nights on Aquas, the mistake on Sauria, wiped out in an instant. I slowly fingered the blaster in the cockpit. "She's gone..."_

_I was brought out of my despair by a thud on my left wing. I assumed it was part of the destroyed Arwing and carried on wallowing. Until I heard several smaller thuds on the cockpit window. I turned around to face the impossible. I thought she'd been destroyed, but no, there she was, alive and well. _

"_Krystal!" I yelled at the top of my voice, knowing that the glass was almost soundproof. "You're alright!"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine," she called back. "Just a bit... shaken, that's all."_

"_Thank God!" I flicked the engines back on. "Right, we're getting out of here. Falco, Slip, take care of the rest of them."_

"_Will do, Fox," replied Falco, simply. He was still a bit shell-shocked after what happened. Slippy didn't respond, probably for the same reason._

"_Fox out." I shut off the comm channel and slowly guided the Arwing, with Krystal standing on the wing, clinging tightly to the G-diffuser, down to solid ground. I wasted no time in opening the canopy and throwing myself into Krystal's arms. _

"_Oh, Krystal!" I breathed, holding her tighter and more caringly than ever before. "I thought I'd lost you forever." I felt myself crying as I leaned my muzzle on her shoulder as she did the same._

"_I thought I was going to die. But you were there to save me. Again." We managed to chuckle in between sobs. After a while, Krystal broke out into full flowing tears of what could have happened. _

"_It's OK, Krys. You're fine. We're both fine." I sniffed a little. "We're here. For each other."_

"_Forever..."_

* * *

"That was the worst experience of my life," recounted Krystal. "But you were there," she said, unable to stop a smile coming to her lips. "You were there to catch me."

_OK, Fox. Here we go._

"But what if I wasn't there?" asked Fox, calmly.

"Don't say that, Fox!" insisted Krystal, suddenly worried that such things had been on his mind. He continued regardless.

"What if you'd died? I wouldn't have been able to keep going." He took her paws in his. "I literally couldn't live without you."

More tears formed in the back of Krystal's eyes as she rubbed Fox's palm with her thumb. "Well, I'm here. We're both here; you don't need to worry about that."

"And should it happen again?" Fox's tone was strangely angry yet exceedingly calm at the same time. "I just can't risk that."

"...What do you mean?" she inquired, now shaking from expectation and sheer worry.

Fox paused for a moment as he swallowed the enormous lump that had formed in his throat.

"Krystal," he began. "Before I say anything else, I just want you to know that I don't want to do it. I really, really don't want to." He paused for a moment. "But I have to."

"But if you don't want to say it, then don't!" She almost laughed at the vulpine's stupidity. "It can't be _that _bad!"

"Wanna bet?"

That got her. Krystal decided to just sit and listen.

"You know I love you. I love you more than anything in Lylat, more than anything else God has to offer." Fox noticed a smile find its way to Krystal's muzzle. _Well, that's good I suppose..._

"And it's more than that; I need you. I don't know what I'd do without you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. That's what's been on my mind for a good while."

"I feel exactly the same way, Fox!" she admitted, although she was thoroughly unprepared for what Fox would say next.

"It was a mistake."

"...Sorry?"

"It was a mistake to ever have loved you, to ever have let you join the team. I know that's gonna sound harsh, but I don't mean it that way."

Krystal was half gaping at Fox. _What? He's putting me down? But he doesn't mean it that way... Oh, wait, I know..._

"Is this the whole 'relationships in work' thing? Because-"

Fox interrupted her. "Yes, it's something like that. Don't get me wrong, I'd spend every day of my life with you, but you're in too much danger flying with us."

"What?!" If there was one thing Krystal hated, it was her skill as a pilot being challenged. "I can take care of myself!"

"I know you can," Fox told her with a trusting smile, "but sometimes even the best of us can be caught out. Your ship got destroyed and if I wasn't there, you probably would have died. And it would have been all my fault."

"No... No it wouldn't," challenged Krystal, but to no avail; the vulpine threw out another very valid point.

"Who let you join the team in the first place?" he stated, confidently, yet cringing.

"Fox, you gave me a home! You gave me a job!" She held back a sob. "You gave me a family. You gave me you."

"And I don't intend to take that away from you." Fox reconsidered his statement. "Well..."

Krystal gasped at that. Something she had not known existed in her bubbled up to the surface, lusting for her own needs. "Listen, Fox," she almost spat, "I don't know what you think's wrong with me, but if you're gonna say something, please say it now. Please."

Fox intended to honour this request. "Krystal, I..."

That phrase triggered a memory inside both of them; the memory of their trip to Sauria. The same, yet so very, very different. He had followed Wolf's advice then, and it wasn't going to fail him now.

"I think it would be safer. Safer for both of us if you..." He stopped himself. He couldn't do it. He didn't need to do it. The one simple act. The act...

"_Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act."_

Fox tried to resolve the situation, but how wrongly he did it.

"If you left the team. Stopped flying with us. I can't let you."

"Fox!" she yelled in response, not even attempting to hold back the tears. "I... why?... why did you...?"

"I really, really don't want this, Krys, but-"

"Oh, it's clear what you want! You're probably sick of the sight of me. Why, Fox? If I get killed, then I get killed!"

"But if you get killed, then what will I do? I'll have nothing to go back to, to fall back on. Nobody to love and hold until the end of it all."

"And kicking me out's gonna get you that, is it?" spat Krystal, unable to control the other being within her. "Try again, genius!"

It was then that Fox realised just what he'd brought upon them both.

"Did I just...?"

"Yes," confirmed the vixen, standing up in front of Fox, "you just cast me aside like you never even wanted me in the first place and thrown me out of my home, away from my family..." A little bit of Krystal resurface to control herself. "Away from you."

"No, wait, I-"

He was cut off by Krystal's other self. "No, you've said what you said and that's it! It's over! WE'RE THROUGH, YOU HEAR ME?!" Fox recoiled in terror as she screamed at him like that. _You are not Krystal. You're not my Krys. Oh Lord, what have I done?_

Krystal stormed off back to the Arwings, earning a cry from Fox. "Krystal! Where are you going?" Then he realised. "Where can you go?"

She spun to face him, tears rushing down her face in torrents like never before. "I don't know, but if I were you, I'd go back up to that Great Fox of yours and think about what just happened. And what you've lost because of it." She sniffled. "I love you, Fox, but do you love me?" Just as he opened his mouth to answer, she said it. She said what he had never wanted to hear, not least from Krystal.

"Good-bye, Fox."

* * *

Fox sighed. He had recovered slightly from the events that had just transpired. He stood up, stretched himself off and slowly made his way back to the Arwing. He saw that Krystal's was not there, but he was half expecting it. He clumsily scrambled into the cockpit and began the long, laborious flight back to the Great Fox.

When he arrived, Falco, Slippy and Peppy were waiting for him.

The moment he stepped out of the Arwing, Falco grabbed him around the shoulders. "What the hell did you do?"

Fox knew exactly what he did, but nonetheless, he said "I dunno."

It was Peppy's turn. "Then why did Krystal just storm on in here, crying like nobody's business, pack all her stuff and leave without saying a word?"

"I... I told her to leave the team."

"You did WHAT?!" exclaimed Slippy, tears starting to form in his eyes too.

"I had to. You saw what happened; she nearly died! I couldn't risk that again."

"Well, now you're probably never gonna see her again! Well done, you moron!" With that, Falco stormed off, his rage at Fox's actions painfully obvious.

"He's right," seconded Peppy, "but what's done is done. I'm sorry Fox."

Slippy started crying, along with Fox. Peppy took the frog under his arm as Fox ran to his room.

He threw himself on the bed, unstoppable tears soaking the bedsheets.

"WHY?! WHY?! I'M AN IDIOT!! I love her, I need her, and now SHE'S GONE!!"

He cried, and cried, not stopping for a long while. "I tried to fix it, but no. That was the wrong way to do it."

* * *

Krystal sat in what had become her favourite café in Corneria City. Her coffee had gone cold, but she didn't care. She was too busy thinking. Thinking about what had just happened to her.

"Why, Fox?" she whispered, choking back sobs, "Why did you send me away? I love you, I need you, and now, I'm gone."

She laid her head in her arms and wept. There were very few people in the café at that time of night and those who were didn't care much for the pained vixen among them. She continued wallowing in her precious memories of Fox.

Krystal didn't notice the bell jangle as the café door opened. Krystal didn't notice the individual who had just entered walk towards her. Krystal noticed the familiar voice that spoke to her.

"Hello, my darling Krystal."

She looked up. "Panther?"

* * *

SchmEthan here:

OK! This is where YOU, yes YOU, get to choose what happens next. As you are probably aware, there are multiple endings to Star Fox Command, in which my final chapter will take place. The question is, which one do YOU want to see?

The options:

Sauria: Fox faces a choice: his team, or his love.

Kew: Fox runs into Kursed, but doesn't recognise her. Will she accept him?

Corneria: Fox and Krystal are reunited again, but will they believe in each other once more?

Which one? Well, leave your choice in a review or send me a PM or something, and the majority wins!

BY THE WAY, thank you for taking the time to read this, those who have. Much appreciated!

SchmEthan.

_To be continued with Fox's Final Heeding: His Own Consequences..._


	4. III: His Own Consequence

SchmEthan here:  
Before I reveal the results of the little poll, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read this story! It started out as a little idea from Wolf's advice as I was replaying Assault, and now it's turned out to be quite good! And to all those who reviewed: thank you very, very much! I shall take a moment to name all my reviewers from day one: VENOMDARK, Captain Fox McCloud, Agent Houndeye, cari la fenix, Skatepunk172, notfromearth7, StarFoxAddict93, and the incredibly comprehensive Assassin-CLT. Actually, the results are NOT in favour of your choice, Assassin, sorry!

And here we go!

In 3rd place, we have Kew with a grand total of 1!

Barely trailing in 2nd is Corneria with 2.

Leaving the number 1 spot, the setting for the final chapter of Don't Hesitate, to Sauria! Well, I say Sauria, I mean orbiting Titania, Venom, THEN Sauria. But either way...

Again, thanks to all who've read, reviewed, faved, alerted, voted and anything else! Appreciated!!

And so, the final chapter of the trilogy is here. Although, I may do an epilogue or two, if any of you wish it to be so (might, just might, detail Fox and Krystal's initial day out to Sauria...)

Oh, by the way, this vaguely follows the Command story of Fox deciding, but most of it's my own thoughts and actions. Also, Star Wolf's there, just for effect and general plotting and stuff. Please don't kill me?

Enjoy!

SchmEthan.

PS- The tail end of the chapter was a bit rushed; I am writing this 6 hours before I leave for a trip to Germany. There may be some errors and the sentence structure may be slightly dodgy, but forgive me.

* * *

"_Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act..."_

Fox's Final Heeding: His Own Consequence

* * *

She was seated on a grassy mound in Sauria's lush grasslands with her legs brought to her chest, thinking. Thinking about all the things that were, that had been and what could be. And the reason behind it all. Fox McCloud. True, without him she would perhaps be dead, forever sealed inside an impenetrable crystal or having plummeted to her demise. But, in truth, she felt dead without him. He gave her everything; a family, a home, a job. Someone to love. And he threw it away.

There was no doubt, even in her mind, that she had overreacted on that day- they both had- especially when she ran into Panther in the coffee shop. _Although, I'm glad he was there..._

For just one moment, she cleared her mind of everything but one person. The person that meant everything to her. He _was _her life, even though he was no longer part of it, and she let memories, good and bad, overcome her mind and body and fill her with innate happiness, omniscient need and ever-spreading love.

Subconsciously, she began to desperately search for Fox using her telepathic abilities. For a good while, nothing registered. Until-

* * *

The Anglar Blitz was taking its toll on Fox. His mind was spinning around with thoughts and emotions ranging from protecting his teammates to ending the war to finding her.

It had been tough. At the very beginning of the war, when Star Fox was but an empty title, Fox had decided to take on the Anglars alone. During the course of his campaign, he was forced to make many challenging, somewhat life-changing decisions, but none as big as the one he faced now.

Krystal had been on his mind throughout the course of the fighting; she had never left his thoughts since she left. Against her will. Against his will.

His mind cycled through everything that they'd done together, memories, thoughts, love beyond comprehension, and his mistakes. Two mistakes, one brilliant, one devastating, and both had changed his life forever. And now all of it was gone with the one person who truly meant everything to him. The one to whom he could turn for any sort of advice, on any sort of occasion, or just for a bit of a laugh. She really was everything he needed, and more often than not, everything he wasn't.

There had always been something missing in his life; he barely knew his mother and his father was declared 'missing in action' while he was still quite young. His mercenary career was fuelled by the determination to avenge his father through the medium of Andross, which he succeeded in doing, twice. After that, he probably would have retired, or stopped flying for a long while. And then Krystal strode into his life, more than likely changing its course dramatically from what it could have been. He had been entrusted with the training of the vixen in arms, physical and piloting. In this time, Fox took the chance to get to know Krystal a little better, and soon they became very good friends, shortly before becoming very good lovers. And on top of that, the all-consuming void within Fox, barely kept satisfied by the ordeal of avenging his father, slowly became tamed by that angel in blue.

When the Aparoids devastated the lives of many, it fell upon the shoulders of Star Fox to minimise the damage and destroy the enemy. However, Fox should have had little or no motive to continue his mercenary work; Andross had nothing to do with the bloodshed for once and, unlike the mission on Sauria, the team weren't desperately in need of cash. So, where did Fox gain his motivation to continue piloting?

Throughout the battles, it was not uncommon for Falco, Slippy and Krystal to be tailed by the enemy. With Falco and Slippy, it was usually a case of getting the bogeys with a sigh, a quick thank you from the party concerned and say no more. Of course, when it came to Krystal, Fox would shift his concentration solely on her safety, shooting down the danger in record time. As well as that, he would almost always double-check if she was OK, a rarity with his other teammates.

It was Krystal who helped him fight his battles; it was for Krystal he would defeat anything that stood in his way.

It was Krystal with whom he fell totally and everlastingly in love.

.:.

The Blitz and bloodshed had guided the Star Fox team, consisting of Fox McCloud, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad and Falco Lombardi- Krystal was still out of contact with the team after Fox's regrettable (and indeed thoroughly regretted) resolution- as well as the Star Wolf trio to the planet Titania. According to General Peppy, there was a device hidden within the desert sands that could terraform the hostile Venom environment. It would have many effects: clean the somewhat unhealthy gases in the atmosphere, enhance the fertility of the soil and, most importantly to the mercenaries, neutralise the acidic seas of Venom, enabling them to face and defeat the Anglar Emperor and end the dreadful war. But Fox wasn't worried about that.

As he lay on his bed, he felt her, not even for a second. That warm, fuzzy feeling in his mind that he had missed so much. He knew it all too well, and it brought back so many memories as he yearned for the reality behind the shadows once more. In that short, incomprehensible space of time, everything that Fox was fighting for simply disappeared, only to be replaced entirely by the blue vixen who he loved more than anything else he could imagine. It was more than that, however; he needed her. For the few years prior to the war, Fox found that he was barely coping without Krystal flying by his side. The only reason he chose to take on the Anglars was the simple fact that they were destroying Corneria, the planet upon which he spent most of his time.

Now, thus far in the war, Fox was waging his own battle inside his head, between his life, his job, his friends, and his love, his needs, _her _life. Weighing up the pros and cons, Fox was completely and utterly indecisive.

_This is what you've been doing _and _wanted to do for as long as you can remember! Are you gonna give _all _of that up?_

_But Krystal... I can't live without her... I can't fly without her either..._

_You've been doing fine so far! And what are the rest of them going to do? Where are they going to go without their leader?_

_Slippy's got Amanda now; they have a house on Aquas, and I think she wants him back soon! I reckon Falco's working his way closer to Katt... _Despite the circumstances, a smile crept its way across Fox's muzzle. _And Peppy's the General of the Cornerian Army! And me? Well, I'm stuck in a tin can with nothing and nobody while the only one I ever loved is out there somewhere!_

_What about all those people you save? If you quit now, so many people will die if something like this comes up again!_

_...Krystal is out there, right now, floating about on her own with absolutely nobody with her, surviving on God only knows what and if she dies, then... then..._

Fox was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the voice ringing over the PA. "Could Fox, Falco and Slippy please come to the bridge immediately? Repeat: to the bridge immediately? Thanks, Peppy, out."

_So, what's it gonna be? Your life-?_

_Or my life..._

_Your job! Your income!_

_There's other ways to make money._

_All this stuff; the Great Fox, the Arwings, Landmasters, everything!_

_I'm sure Peppy'll let me store them somewhere._

_Falco, Slippy, Peppy, all those people._

_Krystal..._

The door to Fox's room opened, words were spoken and the person who spoke them walked around to the side of Fox's bed without catching his attention.

"Fox!"

That did it, though. Fox rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to be staring into Wolf's face. Had he not been so stressed and torn, he probably would have had room to be slightly unnerved. But there was too much going on inside his head to even care about the lupine's presence in his room.

"Get up, you lazy furbag," chided Wolf, without too much enthusiasm.

"Maybe some other time," Fox retorted.

"What's got into your backside?"

"One, you wouldn't know anything about it, two, none of your business!"

"And how do you know that I wouldn't know anything about love?"

"Because, you-" And then Fox realised, a blush seeping through is orange fur. "I didn't say anything about love."

Wolf chuckled, only a slight darkness tainting the laugh. "Yes, but when you've spent the past few years living with Mr. Ladies' Cat, you kinda pick up a few things. And a good guess would tell me that you're suffering from lack of Krystal."

"I... She..." Fox sighed in defeat, his blush reddening. There was no point in trying to hide it; it was obvious that Wolf already knew.

The vulpine tapped his head. "I felt her. Her... telepathy... sort of... but she was there! Not for very long, but. And then I just remembered everything." Fox rubbed his brow between his fingers. "Why the hell am I telling you this anyway?"

Wolf shrugged in response. "Don't ask me. But your team kinda want you on the bridge, now!"

Fox's ears drooped. "Oh yeah. The team."

Wolf snorted and casually wandered off, his errand fulfilled. "Oh, and if you have any doubts about how she feels, I suggest you talk to Panther. They had a little... encounter on Corneria."

Fox's emerald eyes snapped open, almost alight as he immediately leapt upright, bolted out of the room and grabbed Wolf by the shoulders. "What do you mean 'encounter'?"

"Look," breathed Wolf. "All I know is that they were both in a café in Corneria before Panther... brought her back to Sargasso."

Fox's jaw couldn't hold itself up as his brain was pouncing to conclusions, all the while terrified that Panther got his paws on Krystal.

"WHAT?!"

"If it's any consolation, she didn't stay the night..."

Before he could be consoled any further Fox stormed off, his target clear and focused in his mind. Panther.

Fox was snarling through his firmly clenched teeth. "If you've done ANYTHING to Krystal..."

The vulpine, completely oblivious to anyone around him, slammed straight into Leon.

"What's your problem, you flea-ridden, mother-"

"Where's Panther?" Fox interrupted.

Leon stopped for a moment. Fox's heavy breathing, clenched teeth and burning eyes could only mean trouble. And he wasn't having any of it.

"I think he was in the garage..."

Without another word, Fox diverted to the garage and continued, his rage only intensifying as his mind was screaming two things. 'Krystal' and 'what did Panther do to her?'.

As the door opened, Fox found the feline polishing his Wolfen, humming a tune which only seemed to make the vulpine more angry. He marched up to Panther, his heart beating savagely, his breathing becoming growling and his eyes turning near-homicidal. Panther noticed Fox behind him.

"Fox? What's the-"

Before he could say another word, the feline was slammed against his ship as Fox grabbed his collars, seething with raging love and protectiveness.

"What... did you do... to her...?" Fox asked between breaths.

Panther chuckled nervously. "Who... who might you be speaking of?"

That really got Fox. "YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT!" The vulpine calmed down a bit as he said her name. "Krystal."

A moment passed before realisation rose over Panther's face. "Oh! Are you talking about our fateful meeting in that café?" The feline's eyes bored through Fox's mind as much as his words. "The day you forced her away."

The endless possibilities, conclusions both wrong and right, slashed through Fox's head as his grip tightened around Panther's neck. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!" he screamed, only wanting to know if Krystal was alright.

Panther smiled. It wasn't a wry smile or a suggestive grin as Fox expected, but a gentle, somewhat understanding smile.

"Right, I can explain everything, if you just let me go."

After a few moments of deliberation, Fox reluctantly withdrew from Panther's collars, but still watching him intently. As Panther led him towards the far end of the garage, he placed a paw on Fox's shoulder, no doubt causing Fox to flinch, but he needn't have feared, since all Panther did was give him a pat on the back.

"Take a seat, Fox."

Reluctantly, Fox complied. As he sat down, Panther with him, the feline sighed. "You know, she was distraught after you forced her away. She bought a mug of coffee and didn't touch a drop. And if I know anything, when people don't drink coffee, they don't want it."

"Gee, Panther," Fox half-gasped, sarcasm and loathing lingering in his throat. "How'd you figure that one out?"

The feline raised his paw, unaffected by the vulpine's interruption. "They don't want the coffee because they want something else. And she wanted you."

Fox rested his muzzle in his paws, in turn supporting his elbows with his knees. "Well, if she wanted me, why did she leave?" Of course, he realised the answer to the question as soon as he asked it.

"Because you told her to." Panther's response was in nothing but straight solemnity.

"Well, yes, but that's besides the point." Fox turned his head to look directly at Panther. "What happened after you saw her in the café?"

"As I said, Krystal was looking miserable, so after asking, of course, I pulled up a chair. Normally, I would have let my charms flow freely, but after spying the tell-tale coffee cup, I began to sympathize. In essence, I asked her what was troubling her, which undoubtedly earned me a 'why do you care?'. But as I explained, I simply hate to see any lady cry, and wondered if I could help."

Fox listened carefully as Panther detailed his conversation with the vixen; how she told him what transpired between the two vulpine, how she thought that she meant nothing to him and, perhaps the most important factor, how much she loved him.

A tear came to Fox's glossy eye as he replayed everything that Panther said and cursed himself for being such an idiot.

"I decided to take action," Panther continued, "I had to take her back to Sargasso."

Fox's ears perked at the statement. "If you've so much as TOUCHED HER, Panther, your tail will be-"

"Relax, my friend, I would, and could, do nothing of the sort after what she went through." Panther chuckled a little. "What kind of a gentlecat would I be then, hmm?"

"Well, uh..." As much as Fox didn't trust him, the feline had a point. "So, what did you two do?"

"I took Krystal to our office, of sorts, and asked her a question."

Fox was growing more and more exasperated. "And what was that question?"

There was a short pause before he revealed the truth. "I asked her if she wanted to join Star Wolf."

"What? There's no way she would want to fly with you! I mean-" Fox cut himself off as he figured out an exception to his statement. "Unless she wanted to get back at me."

"Exactly. And you wouldn't have a very good chance of making up with someone who tries to get revenge."

Fox desperately refrained from strangling Panther there and then. "It doesn't matter what she does, I still love her."

"That's another thing, but we'll get to that later." The feline ensured that Fox was paying attention before continuing. "She declined. Straight away, in fact."

The vulpine was taken completely off-guard by that. "She... she what?"

"I believe she said, 'why would I ever want to fly with Fox's rivals? What would he think of me then?'"

Almost immediately, Fox answered her previously posed question. "You'd still mean everything to me. I'd still love you."

Panther sighed a little. "That aside, I had no intention of letting her join Star Wolf. It was simply a test of her commitment to and her feelings for you. And she passed."

"...But why hasn't she come back?"

"Well, you've never told her to..." An exceedingly nervous expression washed over Panther's face. "And, I might have said something to make her do otherwise."

Almost as quickly as it left him, Fox's seething rage returned. He suppressed it, however. "What did you say?"

After an uneasy laugh from the feline, he cleared his throat. "Word for word, I said, 'Krystal, if he truly loves you, and wants you back, he will come and find you'."

Both vulpine and feline sat in silence, the former deliberating the latter's words. "Well, you're right, Panther," admitted Fox with a sigh. "_I _need to prove that I still love her. _I _need to go and find _her_."

There was only one thing opposed to this decision, and it launched a fully fledged attack on his head. "But, to prove that I love her, I'll have to devote myself to her. Entirely. And that means leaving mercenary work... leaving Star Fox behind." Fox buried his head in his paws as he physically struggled to make his mind up. "I couldn't leave them, but I can't ignore Krystal. I... I just don't know..."

Panther shrugged slightly as he rose to his hind paws. "Your decision, Fox, not mine. Good luck, though."

As the feline began to walk away, he felt a paw on his shoulder. "Yes, Fox?"

He turned around to see the vulpine smiling at him. "Thanks. For everything."

Panther couldn't help but return the smile along with a little joke. "Anything for Krystal. By the way, once you're finished, can I have her?"

Fox's smile vanished before Panther could blink, causing Panther to defensively raise his paws. "I kid, I kid! You know I didn't mean it."

Although not fully, the smile returned to Fox's muzzle. "Hmm... I'll be watching you..." he told the feline. After a chuckle from the pair, Panther went back to polishing his Wolfen while Fox left the garage, his mindset renewed as he marched straight into the bridge. He found Peppy, Falco and Slippy seated around a table with a map of Titania's surface. All three looked up at the vulpine as he casually stepped in and took a seat. He took a look at what his teammates were doing.

"Started without me then?" asked Fox with a grin.

"Frankly," replied Falco, "we were bored waiting."

"Yeah!" Slippy confirmed, "Where were you, anyway?"

"Oh, just having a little chat with Panther," he told them, not revealing the subject of their conversation.

"With Panther," Falco repeated. "Who repeatedly tried to hit on Krystal..."

Falco stopped himself when he realised that he had touched a tender topic, indicated by Fox's lowered ears and miserable face.

"But why?" he simply asked, for fear of saying anything else to upset the vulpine.

"Never mind that!" Peppy interrupted. "Now that you're here, Fox, this," he pointed to a spot on the map, "is where we think Andross' terraformer is hidden. We believe that he wanted to make Venom hospitable, which is understandable, and that he..."

_Krystal..._

* * *

Fox clambered out of his Arwing, followed by the rest of his team and Star Wolf. They had successfully retrieved the terraforming device from the sands of Titania after defeating Andross' 'ghost' in the form of a bioweapon. Fox brought the device out of his cockpit and into the bridge, where everyone else was waiting, and threw it to Slippy, who just managed to catch it.

"Right, that's that!" Fox admitted. "So, what is it and what do we do with it?"

Slippy took a good look at the device before replying. "It definitely looks like Andross' terraformer, and all we need to do is fire it into the Venom Sea!"

"And then we can get in there and kick the emperor's tail!" Falco said with an accompanying kick to the air.

"And _then_..."

"And then what, Fox?" asked Wolf, knowing exactly what he was thinking, but whether or not the vulpine would follow through, he couldn't tell. Of course, this attracted everyone's attention and deposited it on a quivering Fox.

"Uh... n-nothing. Nothing."

"Whatever you say, Foxie," scoffed Falco, before joining Slippy and Peppy in planning their assault on Venom.

Fox half-stumbled over to the captain's chair and collapsed, on the verge of tears.

Panther and Wolf knowingly looked at each other before making their way to the frayed vulpine.

"What _were _you going to say, pup?" Wolf asked him.

"Do you have to call me 'pup'?" replied Fox, recovering.

"It's better than 'Fox'," he joked.

"Hmm. Anyway, you _know _what I was gonna say. But I just wasn't thinking; how could I possibly go through with it?"

"Well," Panther began, "what's stopping you?"

"Them!" Fox half-snapped. "Slippy and Falco and Peppy! You seriously expect me to just take away their jobs and lives and just leave them here?"

"They were coping fine before," he reminded the vulpine.

"...Good point. But now they're all back together now. And, look at them!"

Panther and Wolf both complied and cast a glance at the table around which the three Star Fox members sat. Falco was enthusiastically plotting his attack run on the emperor, Slippy was delightedly explaining how the terraformer would allow them to enter the sea and Peppy was happily planning the entire operation for the team. All in all, they were loving it.

After a sigh, Wolf spoke again. "I suppose they are happy. But, what about Krystal?"

"Exactly! I can't just leave her floating about on her own! It was me who saved her and gave her a home, and I took it all away from her. Never again..."

"So," Panther spoke up, "you can't quit the team because you'd hurt them, and you can't leave Krystal because you'd hurt her." Panther tutted slightly. "I thought you _loved_ her."

"You know I do, Pa-" He cut himself off since Panther had walked away, leaving Fox with the lupine.

"Well, tell me this," Wolf said, leaning an arm on the back of the chair. "You don't wanna leave these guys cause they're happy, right?"

"Yeah, I couldn't do that to them again."

"And you don't wanna leave Krystal hanging because you know she's not happy without you."

"That's all I ever wanted: to make her happy. But I can't leave the team. But I have to go and find her... ARGH!" He slammed a fist of the chair's arm as he clenched his teeth and used his other paw to support his head.

"Right..." Wolf cleared his throat in preparation to work his magic. "Have you tried asking yourself what _you_ want?"

"I..." Fox was stumped. In all his confusion and rage and indecision, he had constantly thought of how the others would be influenced by his decisions.

"Don't get me wrong; I suppose it's good that you're thinking of everyone else, but when I have to face a decision, I always go by what I want."

"If I'm perfectly honest, I want Krystal. I just want to hold onto her and never let go. I mean, just being with her is like-"

"Yes, yes, spare me the romantic crap." After a chuckle from Fox, Wolf continued. Point is, you want Krystal, you go and get her! Simple."

"Not that simple, Wolf." Fox sighed before continuing. "When I try to make a decision, everything that could possibly happen afterwards just flashes in front of me. And this really is a big one."

"And that's another thing: remember that advice I gave you in the War?"

"Oh yeah. Blessing and a curse, Wolf, I've followed it one too many times."

"Really?" Wolf wasn't expecting that. "Oh, well, it's your call then. Do what you want. Key word: _you_. Got it?"

"Yes, Wolf," replied Fox in a student-to-teacher voice, a smirk beginning to return to his face.

Wolf left Fox alone to weigh up his options. Which is far from what actually transpired inside Fox's mind.

_Oh, Krystal. I need you! I'm guessing that you're not happy without me, but I'm worse without you. But would you want me to abandon the guys like this?_

"Fox! Get your tail over here a minute!"

The vulpine groaned at the sound of Falco's voice as he forced himself out of the chair and around to the table. "What's up, guys?"

"Fox," Peppy began, "this is our plan of action for the Venom assault. First, we're going to shoot this here terraformer into the sea. Once we've done that, we'll be able to fly into the sea and attack the Anglars. So what you've gotta do is..."

The hare's voice trailed off inside Fox's mind as his thoughts took over. _I've gotta decide now or I never will. And I can never go back once I've chosen... but what should I choose? If I go back to Krystal, these guys are gonna have to go back to their old lives... well, not so bad for Slippy and Peppy, but Falco.... He's my best friend; I can't just leave him hanging... But I stay with the team, Krystal's never gonna forgive me. And she'll never be happy. Never have a proper home. Never be loved. DAMMIT!_

"And then we can take out the emperor. Lylat will be safe again! You got that, Fox?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah," came the half-hearted reply.

"Something wrong?" asked Slippy.

"Yes." Fox's head was overloading with every emotion and thought imaginable. He just had to let it out. "I'm not even gonna lie; I have two options. I can stay here with you guys-"

Falco didn't let him finish. "As opposed to?"

Fox's gaze pierced the avian. He swallowed, knowing the look all too well.

"As opposed to hanging up the Arwing gloves and... and going to find Krystal. You know, settle down."

As Fox expected, Falco's mind was set. "Well it's obvious, isn't it? You bring her back here and everyone's happy?"

A scowl grew upon Fox's muzzle. "Oh, you think I can just waltz up to her and say, 'Hi Krystal! Sorry I practically dumped you a while ago, completely trashing all your love and respect for me. Wanna come back and fly with us again, so I'll probably have to break your heart some more?'"

"But... you..." Falco knew when he'd been beaten. "Well if that's the case, why don't you just stay here?"

"Because if I stop flying completely, I'll be able to show her that I mean it and that I'm never going to leave her again."

"But..." for perhaps the first time in his life, Falco looked genuinely sad. "What about me?"

"I know, I know, that's why it's so hard." He groaned before gesturing to the mission plans as well as his teammates. "I looked at you earlier and you were all having the time of your lives. Believe me, I love this job as much as you do, and it's just as hard for me to pack it in, but frankly, Krystal's more important than my job. But, before you beat me up, you guys are really important to me as well." He offered a warm smile as proof. "You guys are my best friends, and Peppy," he looked him straight in the eye, "you're practically my second dad! Granted, you have your post as General, and Slippy," he turned to face the frog, "you have Amanda, and I'm guessing that you miss her already, if my feelings for Krystal are anything to go by." Slippy nodded in response as Fox shifted his attention to Falco. "And you, how's things with Katt?"

The vulpine smirked as Falco squirmed and writhed. Fox knew that he had hit the jackpot. "Well... see... I... we... uh..."

"We shall assume that you're 'getting on well'?" Fox accompanied his last three words with his own inverted comma fingers.

The avian, not knowing what else to do, simply nodded. "Well, I suppose that makes it a bit less weighted to staying, but tell me one thing: did you miss this?"

Falco shot his beak in first, not hesitating for a second. "You know it! I love this job and I don't really wanna leave again."

Slippy was next. "If I'm honest, I _do _enjoy all this action..."

Fox turned to Peppy, knowing the answer. "I love it just as much as you do, but it's your choice. If you want to throw in the towel, we'll follow suit."

The vulpine stood up and began pacing around the bridge. "But I can't! That's the thing: I can't decide! It's too hard."

He wandered over to the window and gazed out to the stars, knowing that the unchanging love of his life was out there somewhere, waiting.

_What would you have done, dad?_ He wasn't expecting an answer so, needless to say, he was astounded when he got one.

A familiar voice crackled over the PA. "Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act."

"Wolf?" Falco yelled down the corridor. "What's that about?"

"Ask Fox." With a chuckle, the PA fizzed out as every pair of eyes in the room became trained on Fox, including his own.

As he stared into his reflection, fingering a small piece of paper in his pocket, Fox knew what he had to do. _I know what I need to do. I didn't hesitate when I told her I loved her, I'm not gonna hesitate now. No matter which path I choose, there's gonna be good and bad consequences. It doesn't matter what happens, I'm trusting my instincts._

"Well?" asked a wondering Falco. "What did he mean?"

"He just made my decision," Fox replied, still looking out over the stars.

"Huh?" Slippy asked, confused. "How'd he do that?"

"You heard what he said: 'don't hesitate... just act...'. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. No more worrying, or holding back. I'm just gonna go with what my heart says."

"Trust your instincts..." Peppy recited the words of his friend and partner, James McCloud.

"And, right now, my instincts are screaming Krystal." He turned around to face his former team. "I'm sorry guys, but my mind is set. As soon as this war's over, I'm going to find Krystal, and that's that. No more mercenary work for me. I need to prove that I love her, and this is how I'm gonna do it. No ifs, ands or buts." Slippy noticed the tiniest of tears form in the corner of Fox's eye. "I'm so, so sorry, and I'm gonna hate this as much as you will, but Star Fox ends with this war."

* * *

Krystal was hurled out of her mind-numbed state as she touched Fox's consciousness. A simple touch was enough to allow nostalgia and love to flood from Fox's mind into hers in torrents. She enjoyed it but, at the same time, loathed it. The vixen didn't want her memories of him, she wanted Fox himself. After what Panther had said, all she could do now was wait and see.

She allowed herself to fall back on the full, cushiony grass as she waited, and hoped. Hoped and prayed that Fox would come back. That Fox would still love her. Something inside her told her that Fox would return, pretty much unchanged and tell her what she wanted to hear, but another was hissing something she could barely understand about the vulpine leaving her all alone on Sauria. As she closed her eyes, she allowed sleep to engulf her; with no real home, the vixen no longer had the luxury of a good night's sleep. She closed her eyes and dreamt solely of her heart's desire. Her dreams were plastered with orange and blue as her life played back inside her head in brilliant Technicolor from the day she met Fox McCloud.

After what was, in Krystal's head, no time at all, Krystal woke from her slumber to look out at the setting Solar. She supported her weight with her elbows as she pushed herself up to, once again, be reminded of all that Fox had done, everything concentrated to the single point in Krystal's existence that defined her, that she would, and did, remember until the end of it all. That day out to Sauria was the most important day of her life.

She delved into her small rucksack and pulled out a folded photograph. It was of the vixen, held in the arms of the one she loved. Her eyes glanced down at the writing in the corner.

"Always and forever, above and beyond, orange and blue, Fox and Krystal..." she read aloud. _Always and forever... _The vixen held back a trickle of tears as she wished to the heavens that Fox would hold true to this promise.

Krystal shoved the photo in her pocket and curled up, draping her fluffy tail over her body as the chills of impending night began to creep in. _Fox... please... I need you..._

_Where are you? C'mon, where are you!?_

The vixen shot upright as she heard his voice in her head. "Fox!" she called out, but she received no reply. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on her telepathy to try and locate the vulpine.

_That's the Cloudrunner! You're here! You're here, Krys!_

He was above her. Fox McCloud was in his Arwing, coming to find her, just like Panther had promised. _He does love me... _Krystal scrambled to her hind paws and frantically scoured the sky to try and find the Arwing.

She heard it before she saw it; the decreasing humming, indicating the craft landing behind her. She found herself closing her eyes as she turned around to face the subject of her dreams. As she opened her eyes, they were met by the silhouette of her saviour, sprinting towards her. She inadvertently brought her paws to her muzzle as a smile grew on his. His figure grew closer and closer as his grin grew bigger and bigger, all the while Krystal's heartbeat racing with overpowering happiness at seeing him. And then... he stopped.

Just a few feet from the vixen, he stopped dead. In Krystal's mind, she saw him hugging her tightly and never letting go, so it came as a surprise to her. And then he spoke.

"Hey, Krystal," he simply greeted.

"Hi, Fox," she replied.

Silence. Of course, it was to be expected; the last time the pair encountered each other was when Fox forced Krystal away. They both stood there with nervous looks on their faces until Fox broke the trend, along with the silence.

"Listen," Fox sighed, "We could stand like this for ages and worry about saying something wrong, or we could speak our minds and just see what happens."

To Fox's surprise, Krystal laughed, causing Fox to smile. He'd missed that laugh. "Since when were you all for openness?"

"Since I decided that enough is enough."

Krystal looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Please don't beat me up for this, but I've talked to the guys, and..." He took a moment to look into her aquatic eyes, and all the wonder, relief and love which they contained. "I've decided to disband Star Fox. For good."

The vixen was genuinely shocked by this news. "What?! Fox, you love that job! And... where are we going to go back to now?"

She noticed a small smirk on Fox's muzzle as he stepped closer to her. "We're not going back," he stated, "we're going forward. I decided to pack it in because you're more important. This way, I can devote myself. We can settle down, never have to worry about losing each other ever again."

"Fox..." Despite her best efforts, a tear rolled down her face at Fox's plan. "But that was your job. Our job. And... what about the others?"

"Well, Peppy's still the General, you know, Slippy's got Amanda and Falco may or may not have Katt." He accompanied the bird's tale with a wavering of his paw.

Krystal chuckled. "So... you're saying we should settle down? As in..." The vulpine blushed just as much as the vixen as she said it. "Get a house? Live together?" Fox audibly swallowed, knowing what was coming. "Start a family?"

After a few nervous chuckles, Fox composed himself. "It didn't sound nearly as embarrassing as that in my head. Not that I'm embarrassed, or anything, I just..."

Krystal rolled her eyes as Fox sighed. "You know what? Sentences are so overrated." Krystal couldn't help but laugh at the remark. "How's this?" He delved into his jacket pocket as he pulled out a folded piece of paper. As he opened it, Krystal's eyes widened with her smile as she looked upon the one thing that she wanted to see. The photo.

"I kept it," he admitted. "I've always kept it. Because I've missed you so much it's silly."

"So did I." Krystal reached into her pocket and produced the duplicate photo, smiling as she did.

Fox's jaw fell open. He tried to say something sensible, but the jumbling mass of thoughts and emotions inside his brain wouldn't allow him. "Is it just me, or are we still very much in love with each other?" Despite his newly-found openness, he still didn't manage to ask such a thing without a blush glowing underneath his fur.

"Oh, no," Krystal began, sparking worry deep inside Fox that was instantly quelled. "I think it's a bit more than love now."

"Well, what is it then?"

"Does it even need a word?"

Fox thought about that for a moment. "Good point. Well, in that case, I'm sorry. Sorry for everything that I've ever done to upset or hurt you, especially forcing you away. I can tell you now that I'm never doing that again."

The vixen smiled at Fox's apology, knowing that it was sincere. "And I'm sorry for running away. I overreacted that day; as soon as I left, I just missed you."

And then a thought, previously floating aimlessly around his mind, occurred to him. "Did I mention that I love you? More than anything?"

Krystal sighed, half-laughing and shook her head. "And I love you. Always and forever. By the way, why haven't you hugged me yet?"

Fox raised a finger and opened his mouth to argue, before realising he couldn't. "I don't know... Well, let me make it up to you."

"Hmm?" Before Krystal could say another word, her capacity to do so was inhibited by Fox's muzzle as he pressed it against her own. He flung his arms around her waist, treasuring everything about her as he kissed her like he had never done so before.

Krystal, who was previously stunned by his sudden and unhesitant action, settled into the kiss and gripped Fox's chest tightly as everything they'd missed over the last two years was more than compensated for in the single action of love and affection that lasted for well over twenty minutes.

As they finally pulled away, each vulpine knew the smile on the other's muzzle all too well.

"I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't miss that," Fox confessed.

"And now, we'll never have to miss it again," said Krystal. "Right?"

Fox flashed his trademark smile. "Never."

Krystal presently sat down on the grass, Fox following not long after. He placed an arm over her shoulder and stared out over the orange-tined landscape. she wrapped her arm around his back as she nuzzled up against his neck.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he confirmed.

At that point, Fox realised something.

"It's always at Solarset, isn't it?"

* * *

_The two lovers, bound, estranged and reunited by a single thought, a whim even, from their enemy. The times were hard, the nights were long, and the heartache was unbearable. But now, with almost every wrong righted, they sit peacefully, admiring the landscape of the planet on which they met, free to wonder and hope and dream of their life ahead of them._

_As of that day, they completely ignored the events and mistakes of the past years to focus on a brighter, happier future. Of course, as demonstrated many a time by Falco Lombardi, you can never keep a true pilot away from his aircraft for long. Perhaps Fox will decide to begin anew one day... Or maybe his friend and lover will take precedence._

_If one thing is certain as this tale draws to a close, it's that Fox McCloud is a changed vulpine, his own consequence from his own decision. He is more caring, more daring, more committed. He is able to speak to the girl of his dreams without stumbling or blushing (too much), and he could love her like he could love nothing else._

_And the words on the photos hold true: Always and Forever, Above and Beyond, Orange and Blue, Fox and Krystal..._


	5. A Coincidence or Three AN

OK, this is quite freaky actually, but there is a song by a band which I recently discovered, the band being A Sound Mind from Austrailia (look 'em up on myspace) called Always & Forever. Ring a bell, anyone?

And then I thought 'hmm... I wonder. And then I looked at the lyrics. And this is what I saw.

Wake me up from the bad dream I am having  
Cause I'm too wrapped up in myself & I am forgetting  
All about you.

Ive been spreading myself thin  
To all of those who have been there for me  
Not giving enough of myself  
To all of those, who have given  
So much of themselves to me

Cosmic debts I am slowly repaying  
But there's been to much on my mind I haven't been letting  
Others know how much I care  
Cause you give I take you give some more so I take some more  
But its time I started giving back to you.

No more spreading my self thin  
To all of those who have been there for me  
Not giving enough of myself  
To all of those, who have given  
So much of themselves to me

Breaking the silence that was made  
When I pushed you away

Now Im Spending myself on  
All of those who have been there for me  
Giving more than enough of myself  
To all of those who given  
So much of themselves to me

Yeah and you'll be in my thoughts forever, I'll take you with me  
Yeah and you'll be in my thoughts forever, I'll take you with me  
Everywhere I go

Damn. They were reading my mind when they wrote this!! The musics awesome too!

But yeah, I recommend a wee listen! (I just HAD to tell you guys lolol.)

OH! I MAY do a epilogue, and it's looking increasingly likely that I will. And atm, I'd just like to say a really actually HUGGGGGGGGGGGE THANK YOU to everyone who has read and reviewed this. UNFORTUNATELY, since Iäm in Germany at the moment, I can't really get replying, but I PWOMISE that I will as soon as I'm back. (I also WOULD acknowledge everyone who's reviewed, but again, I'm not here, so ah well). But really, THANK YOU!!!!!

AAAAAAND that's all. BYE BYES!!!!!

SchmEthan.

(P.S.- If you WANt to see an epilogue or anything like that, please tell me and I'll try and do so!!!)


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